"Helping"

I took the advice of a friend and decided to include Nanners in

our daily household chores. It's been an interesting process trying to include her.

She definitely loves them much more than I do!

She helps with dishes by finding all the knives in the sink.

At least she has the sense that she's not supposed to play with them.

She just holds them and calls for me to take them.

Here she is helping Daddy make Family Home Evening treats.

Daddy makes them, Nanners eats them off the pan.

And while Mr. Pants was at the BYU v. OSU game we decided to

make some pumpkin cookies to doorbell-ditch our neighbors.

Making cookies proved most dangerous.

As the Kitchenaide was running, Nanners dropped a measuring cup right on in.

It hit the blade, hurled out of the bowl, hit me square in the forehead and then splattered on the floor.

My first reaction was to get really mad and rethink this whole "helping" plan, then I just had

to stop and realize how fantastic it would have looked if it had been filmed.

I have had to remind myself that including her in these things doesn't actually make the tasks easier, rather more fun and meaningful. I'm learning...and hopefully she is too.

She also mistaked the Crisco for the tub of lotion I let her dip her fingers in each morning.

I turned around and caught her rubbing it all over her face.

At any rate these pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting were delish!

And I felt such a rush delivering these to our neighbors--

ringing the doorbell and running home as fast as I could.

It's a good thing I've been training.

Pumpkin Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from this recipe from House of Hepworth

Combine:

1/2 c. vegetable shortening

1 1/2 c. Sugar

Add:

2 eggs

Mix in:

15 oz. can of Pumpkin filling

Add:

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 1/2 c. Flour

Add:

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Nutmeg

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Make Cream Cheese Frosting

Combine:

1 (8 oz) package Cream Cheese

1/4 c. Butter, softened to almost melted

Add:

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1 1/4 c. Powdered Sugar

Frost cooled cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Refrigerate leftover frosting.